Rocket launcher



0. J. COMTE ETAL 3,401,597

ROCKET LAUNCHER Sept. 17, 1968 Filed April 21, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS DONN J. COMTE ROBERT J. MARTIN BY $2M. Pr m ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. J. COMTE ETAL ROCKET LAUNCHER Sept. 17, 1968 Filed April 21, 1967 United States Patent 3,401,597 ROCKET LAUNCHER Donn J. Comte and Robert J. Martin, Costa Mesa, Calif.,

assignors to The Susquehanna Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 632,712 Claims. (Cl. 89--1.804)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable launcher for a rocket or other self-propelled projectile, comprising a unitary trigger, barrel and attenuator assembly which is adapted to be releasably attached to a firing cylinder including a plurality of rockets disposed within a rotatable magazine. As each rocket is fired by actuation of the trigger, the magazine is automatically indexed to move another rocket into firing position, thereby enabling a plurality of rockets to be fired in rapid succession.

Background and summary of the invention This invention relates to a rocket launcher and, more particularly, to a portable lightweight rocket launcher which is adapted to fire a plurality of rockets in rapid succession.

Heretofore, various types of launchers have been utilized for the firing of rockets or other self-propelled projectiles. For the most part, however, the prior art launchers capable of firing a plurality of rockets in rapid succession have not been portable or, if intended to be portable, have been bulky and/or heavy, with the result that they have proven extremely difficult to handle, transport, assemble, and/ or fire by an individual in the field. While portable and lightweight launchers of the type that can be efiiciently handled and fired by the individual in the field have been and are available, substantially all of these launchers are of the single-firing type, that is, they require a manual-loading operation after each rocket is fired and thus do not possess the capability of firing a plurality of rockets in rapid succession. It will be readily seen, therefore, that there has been and is presently a need for a truly portable and lightweight rocket launcher which can be efiiciently transported, handled and fired by an individual in the field and which is capable of firing a number of rockets in rapid succession.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a portable and lightweight rocket launcher which is easily operable to fire a plurality of rockets in rapid succession.

Another object is the provision of such a portable rocket launcher which is so constructed and arranged as a to accurately and automatically index each rocket in a firing position immediately after the previous rocket has been launched.

A further object is to provide such a portable rocket launcher wherein the rockets are contained in a closed and sealed tubular container prior to launching to facili-' tate the safe handling thereof.

Still another object is the provision of a portable, lightweight rocket launcher which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to assemble and disassemble, efficient in operation, and easily and safely transported, handled and fired by an individual in the Patented Sept. 17, 1968 The above objects are accomplished by providing a portable and lightweight rocket launcher comprising an elongated support housing having a trigger mechanism mounted therein and a barrel and signature attenuator movably mounted on opposite ends thereof. A locking mechanism, disposed on the underside of the support housing, is adapted to engage and look a firing cylinder to the housing. The firing cylinder is provided with forward and rear longitudinally aligned openings, and the barrel and attenuator are adapted to be moved into longitudinal alignment therewith and locked in these positions on the firing cylinder when it is secured to the support housing by the locking mechanism. Within the firing cylinder, there is rotatably mounted a magazine comprising a plurality of rocket-supporting tubes, each of which is adapted to be indexed to a position in longitudinal alignment with the forward and rear openings in the firing cylinder and the barrel and signature attenuator to provide a launch tube for the firing of a rocket from the cylinder. As each rocket is fired by actuation of the trigger mechanism mounted within the support housing, the magazine is automatically rotatably indexed to move another rocket into firing position, thereby enabling the rockets mounted within the magazine to be fired in rapid succession. When all of the rockets within the magazine have been fired, the firing cylinder is easily detached from the support housing, and replaced by a second, loaded firing cylinder of the same construct-ion.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a portable rocket launcher constructed according to the principles of the present invention, showing the support housing and as sociated barrel and attenuator assembly separated from the firing cylinder;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the front portion of the launcher shown in FIGURE 1, with parts shown in section and parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the rear portion of the launcher shown in FIGURE 1, with parts shown in section and parts broken away; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of the firing cylinder shown in FIGURE 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIGURE 1 illustrates a rocket launcher 10 generally comprising an elongated support housing 12, supporting a movable'trigger 14, barrel 16 and signature attenuator 18, and a separable rocket-carrying container or cylinder 20. The cylinder 20 may be releasably attached to the support housing 12 by any suitable or conventional locking means; for example, the hook 22 and slot 24 arrangement shown in FIGURE 1, wherein either the hook 22 may be selectively moved into locking engagement with the cylinder slot 24, or the slot 24 may be provided in a portion of the cylinder 20 that is selectively movable into locking engagement with the hook 22.

The barrel 16 and attenuator 18 are pivotally mounted at 26 and 28, respectively, on opposite ends of the support housing 12 for movement between the positions shown in FIGURE 1 to those shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The trigger 14is also pivotally mounted on and within the support housing 12 by a pivot pin 30 and is normally biased upwardly, or in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 3, by a helical spring 32 mounted within a recess 34 in a subhousing 35 disposed within the housing 12. An adjustable stop pin 36 is threadably mounted .within a bore in the subhousing 35 for the purpose of engaging the bottom portion of the trigger 14 and thus limiting its clockwise rotation under the force of the spring 32. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, a portion of the trigger 14 is exposed at the upper portion of the sup- 3 port housing 12 to facilitate easy depression by the operator for the purpose of actuating the firing mechanism of the launcher in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the firing mechanism for the instant launcher comprises a spool member 38 having an enlarged bottom portion 40 supporting a depending firing pin 41 and being slidably mounted within a substantially vertical bore 42 in the subhousing 35. A reduced intermediate portion 44 of the spool member 38 extends upwardly through the bore 42 and is surrounded by a helical spring 46 that is retained within the bore 42 by a retaining ring 48. The intermediate portion 44 terminates at its upper end in an upper spool portion 50 of reduced diameter, which in turn, terminates in an annular flange 52. A second helical spring 54 has its lower portion disposed within an axial bore 56 of the spool member 38, and is secured at its upper end to the support housing 12 and at its lower end to the spool member 38 for the purpose of normally returning the spool member firing pin 41 to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

The end of the trigger 14 adjacent the spool member 38 is provided with a generally horizontally extending bore in which a pin 58 is slidably mounted and normally biased outwardly by a spring 60. A retaining pin 61 retains the pin 58 within the bore. The pin 58 has a reduced outer end portion which is adapted to be disposed under and in engagement with the spool member flange 52 when the spool member 38 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3. It will be readily seen from the foregoing description tat a depression of the exposed portion of the trigger 14 will result in a counterclockwise rotation of the trigger against the force of the spring 32 and in a lifting of the spool member 38 by the engagement of the trigger pin 58 with the spool member flange 52. The upward movement of the spool member 38 continues until the trigger pin 58 is moved upwardly to a suflicient extent to move out of engagement with the spool member flange 52. Thereafter, the helical spring 46, compressed by the upward movement of the spool member 38, exerts a downward force on the spool member suflicient to move the firing pin 41 through and beyond a bottom opening 62 in the subhousing 35 for initiating the firing of a rocket in a manner to be described hereinafter.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the rocket-carrying cylinder 20 comprises front and rear longitudinally aligned openings 64 and 66, which are defined by tapered annular portions 68 and 70, respectively. The barrel 16 is provided with tapered annular surface 72 that is complementary with and adapted to tightly engage the tapered portion 68 of the cylinder 20 when the barrel is in the position shown in FIGURE 2 wherein it is in longitudinal alignment with the cylinder openings 64 and 66. Similarly, the signature attenuator 18 has a tapered annular surface 74 at its inner end which is complementary with and adapted to engage the tapered portion of the cylinder 20 when the attenuator is in the position shown in FIG- URE 3 wherein it is in longitudinal alignment with the cylinder openings 64 and 66.

The barrel 16 and attenuator 18 are adapted to be releasably locked in the extended positions shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3 by releasable locking mechanisms 76 and 78, respectively. Each of the locking mechanisms 76 and 78, mounted on opposite ends of the cylinder 20, is identical in construction and comprises a housing 80 in which a latch member 82 is slidably mounted for substantially vertical movement. The latch member 82 is biased upwardly by spring 84 into locking engagement with an outwardly extending flange 86 on the barrel 16, or with the flange 88 on the attenuator 18, as the case may be. The latch member 82 of each of the locking mechanisms 76 or 78 may be released from the barrel flange 86 or attenuator flange 88 by the downward movement of a release pin 90 secured to the latch member 82 and slidably mounted for substantially vertical movement in a slot 92 in the housing 80. Since the upper surface of the latch member 82 in each of the locking mechanisms 76, 78 is upwardly and inwardly tapered (as seeen in FIGURES 2 and 3), it will be understood that when the barrel 16 and attenuator 18 are moved toward the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the outwardly extending flanges 86 and 88 will engage the upper surface of each latch member 82 and cam it, downwardly against the force of the biasing spring 84 until the barrel and attenuator have been moved into their final positions in engagement with the cylinder 20, after which the latch members 82 are moved upward by the biasing springs 84 into locking engagement with the flanges 86 and 88. When it is desired to move the barrel and attenuator to the storage or folded-back positions shown in FIGURE 1, the release pin 90 of each of the locking mechanisms 76, 78 is moved downwardly to release the latch members 82 as described above.

The barrel and attenuator flanges 86 and 88, or the corresponding portions of the cylinder side walls 106 engaged thereby, may be provided with annular gaskets (not shown) for effecting a gas-tight seal between the cylinder 20 and the barrel 16 and attenuator 18 when the latter are in the firing positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 4, the cylinder 20 comprises a rotatable magazine 94 for supporting a plurality of rockets R within the cylinder. The magazine 94 is provided with a plurality of rocket-supporting tubes 96 that are rigidly secured together in a unitary assembly in any suitable manner. As an illustrative example, the magazine 94 comprises four tubes 96 spaced approximately 90 apart and extending through and rigidly secured to one or more support plates 98. One or more annular bearing members 100 are secured at their outer surfaces to the inner portions of the rocket tubes 96 and, at their inner surfaces, to a support shaft 102 extending across the cylinder 20 and rotatably mounted at its ends in hub portions 104 in the side walls 106 of the cylinder. The magazine 94 and its associated rocket tubes 96, therefore, are rotatably mounted within the cylinder 20 on the support shaft 102.

As shown in FIGURE 2, a helical torsion spring 108 surrounds the end portion of shaft 102, and has one end disposed in engagement with an extension 110 of the cylinder side wall 106 and the other end in engagement with a portion of the bearing member 100. The torsion spring 108 serves to urge the magazine 94 and its associated rocket tubes 96 in a counterclockwise direction (as see in FIGURE 4) within the cylinder 20 to provide for movement of each of the rocket tubes 96 into alignment with the forward and rear openings 64 and 66 in the cylinder. In order to align each of the rocket tubes 96 with the cylinder openings 64 and 66, each tube 96 is provided with a resilient arm 112 attached at one end to the outer portion of the tube and terminating at the other end in a tab 114 which extends through an aperture 116 into the interior of the tube. The arm 112 serves to resiliently bias the tab to the position shown in FIGURE 4 when a rocket R is not present in the tube. When a rocket R is present in the tube, the arm 112 is deformed out wardly thereby and the tab 114 extends outwardly substantially beyond the outer surface of the tube, as clearly seen in FIGURES 2 and 4.

On the inner surface of its upper portion, the cylinder 20 is provided with a stop block 118 rigidly mounted thereon, and a resilient lock spring 120 secured at one end to the inner surface of the cylinder 20 and having its free end disposed in circumferentially spaced relationship to the stop block 118. The stop block 118 extends inwardly to a sutficient extent to be engaged by the outwardly extending tab 114 of each rocket tube 96 when a rocket R is disposed therein to thereby position each tube in alignment with the front and rear openings 64 and 66 of the cylinder 20, and also in alignment with the barrel 16 and signature attenuator 18 when they are in the firing positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, respectively.

As shown in FIGURE 4, each tube 96 is positively prevented from moving away from the block 118, or in a clockwise direction, by the resilient lock spring 120 which is deformed upwardly as the tab 114 approaches the stop block 118 and thereafter resiliently moves downwardly to the locking position after the tab has engaged the stop block 118. It will be readily seen, therefore, that the stop block 118 and lock spring 120 serve to accurately lock and position each tube 96 containing a rocket R in longitudinal alignment with the cylinder openings 64, 66, the barrel 16 and the signature attenuator 18, thereby forming an elongated, unitary launch tube therewith.

The rockets R may be of any suitable or conventional type, such as that discolsed in US. Patent No. 2,966,827, and may be provided with an incendiary or other desired type of warhead. Each of the rockets is provided with a primer 122 which is operatively connected thereto in any suitable or conventional manner by an ignition or pyro technic train.124 (see FIGURE 3). When each rocket R is loaded into a tube 96 in the firing cylinder 20, the primer 122 is locked in position by a support plate 126 secured to the inner surface of each tube 96. The primer 122 may be snap-fitted or otherwise suitably attached to the plate 126. In this manner, the primer 122 for each rocket R will be disposed adjacent the firing pin 41 when its respective tube 96 is in a firing position in alignment with the cylinder openings 64, 66.

In practice, the tubes 96 and the cylinder 20 are preloaded with rockets R, each having its primer 122 mounted on the support plate 126 within each tube so as to be engageable by the firing pin 41 when the support housing 12 is locked to the cylinder 20 and the tube is in a firing position as hereinbefore described. The torsion spring 108 is preloaded within the cylinder 20 so as to urge the magazine 94 and its associated rocket tubes 96 in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 4. In order to protect the rockets R loaded within the cylinder 20 when it is in storage or being carried separately from the support housing 12, the cylinder openings 64 and 66 are closed by any suitable type of cap or cover (not shown) removably mounted on the cylinder in any suitable manner. The cylinder 20 may be provided with any suitable means (not shown) for enabling it to be handcarried in a convenient manner such as a handle, shoulder strap or the like.

Similarly, the support housing 12 may be conveniently hand-carried when the barrel 16 and signature attenuator 18 are disposed in the storage positions shown in FIG- URE 1, wherein they are positioned closely adjacent the housing 12 and occupy a minimum of space. i

In operation, when it is desired to fire the rockets R disposed in the tubes 96 within the cylinder 20, the cylinder is secured to the support housing 12 by the locking means 22, 24, which may be of any suitable'construction or be operable in any suitable manner, without departing from the spirit or scope of the instant invention. When the cylinder is secured to the support housing 12, the barrel 16 and signature attenuator 18 are pivoted downwardly into the positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, respectively, wherein they are in engagement with the tapered surfaces 68 and 70 of the cylinder and disposed in longitudinal alignment with the cylinder openings 64, 66 and the adjacent rocket tube 96, and locked in these positions by the locking mechanisms 76 and 78. The caps or covers (not shown) for the openings 64, 66 may be removed from the cylinder 20 either before or after the cylinder is secured to the support housing 12. The trigger 14 is provided with a safety mechanism (not shown) of any suitable or conventional type to prevent inadvertent actuation of the trigger 14 during the above assembling operations.

Thereafter, the assembled launcher may be lifted by the operator to a position wherein the cylinder 20 is resting on his shoulder. A shoulder brace 128 (FIGURE 1) is pivotally mounted on the bottom portion of the cylinder 20 to facilitate the firing of the rockets therefrom.

After the trigger safety mechanism (not shown) is released, the first rocket R disposed in the tube 96 in alignment with the barrel 16 and attenuator 18 may be fired by depressing the trigger 14 against the force of the spring 32 to thereby actuate the firing mechanism in the manner described above whereby the firing pin is driven into engagement with the primer 122, thereby initiating the firing of the rocket. As the rocket is launched from the tube 96, the signature attenuator 18 prevents the hot combustion gases from injuring the operator. For convenience in aiming the launcher, a sight of any suitable type is pivotally mounted on the side of the support housing 12, as shown in FIGURE 1.

When the rocket R has left the launch tube 96, the tab 114 is moved inwardly by the resilient arm 112 to a position wherein it is clear of the stop block 118, as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 4. Thereafter, the torsion spring 108 serves to rotate the magazine 94 in a counterclockwise direction (as shown in FIGURE 4) to a second position wherein the next rocket tube 96 is disposed in alignment with the barrel 16 and attenuator 18 and has its tab 114 locked in position between the stop block 118 and lock spring 120. The trigger 14 is again depressed to fire the rocket R in the second tube in the manner described above.

It will be noted that all of the rockets R in the launch tube 96 within the cylinder 20 may be fired in rapid succession by successive actuation of the trigger 14 in the manner described above, and, after each firing, the magazine 94 is automatically and accurately, rotatably indexed to position the next launch tube 96 and rocket R for firing. After all of the rockets within the cylinder 20 have been fired, the locking means 22, 24 are manually released and the empty cylinder 20 is disposed of. There after, loaded cylinders 20 may be successively mounted on the support housing 12 for the subsequent firing of rockets in rapid succession in the manner described above.

The components of the instant launcher 10 may be formed of any suitable materials without departing from the scope of this invention. While the drawings have been sectioned to indicate metallic materials, it is to be understood that suitable fiber-reinforced or plastic materials may also be used.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A launcher for a self-propelled projectile, comprising:

a support housing,

a barrel and a signature attenuator each pivotally mounted on said housing for movement between storage and firing positions,

a container supporting a plurality of projectiles and i being adapted to be releasably secured to said housing, said container having longitudinally aligned openings in the ends thereof,

said barrel and said attenuator being adaptedto engage opposite ends of said container and to be disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings when in said firing positions,

means within said container for sequentially moving each of said projectiles to a position wherein it is in longitudinal alignment with said container openlugs, and

means for firing each of said projectiles when it is disposed in said position and said barrel and said attenuator are in said firing positions. f

2. The launcher of claim 1 wherein said barrel is pivotally mounted on one end of said housing, and said sig- 7 nature attenuator is pivotally mounted on the other end of said housing.

3. The launcher of claim 2 wherein 'means are provided on the ends of said container for releasably locking said barrel and said signature attenuator in said firing positions.

4. A launcher for, a self-propelled projectile, comprising:

a support housing,

barrel and attenuator means movably mounted on said housing for movement between storage and firing positions,

a container supporting a plurality of projectiles and being adapted to be releasably secured to said housing, said container having stop means on the inner surface thereof and having longitudinally aligned openings in the ends thereof,

said barrel and attenuator means being adapted to engage the ends of said container and to be disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings when in said firing positions,

means within said container for sequentially moving each of said projectiles to a position wherein it is in longitudinal alignment with said container openings, said projectile moving means comprising a magazine rotatably mounted within said container and having a plurality of tubes for supporting said projectiles, each tube having movable tab means mounted thereon and engageable by a projectile therein, said tab means being adapted toengage said stop means to position said tube in lonigtudinal alignment with said container openings only when a projectile is disposed in said tube, and spring means for rotating said magazine to sequentially advance each of said tubes having a projectile therein to said position, and

means for firing each of said projectiles when it is disposed in said position and said barrel and attenuator means are in said firing positions.

5. The launcher of claim 4 wherein each of said tubes has an aperture adapted to receive said tab means, and wherein a spring armis secured at one end to each tube and at the other end to said tab means to normally urge said tab means through said aperture and into the interior of said tube, whereby a projectile within said tube engages said tab means and moves it outwardly against the force of said spring arm to a position wherein said tab means is engageable with said stop means.

6. The launcher of claim 5 wherein said container comprises lock means on the inner surface thereof for engagement with each of said tab means when it is in engagement with said stop means to prevent movement of the tube supporting said tab means and rotation of said magazine.

7. The launcher of claim 1 wherein said firing means comprises a trigger assembly mounted on said housing and being manually operable to initiate firing of each of said projectiles when it is disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings.

8. A rocket launcher, comprising:

an elongated support housing,

. a barrel pivotally mounted on one end of said housing for movement between a storage and a firing position,

a signature attenuator pivotally mounted on the other end of said housing for movement between a storage and a firing position,

a container movably supporting a plurality of rockets and being adapted to be releasably secured to said housing, said container having longitudinally aligned openings in the opposite ends therof,

said barrel and said attenuator being adapted to engage the opposite ends of said container and to be disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings when in said firing positions,

said container comprising a magazine rotatably mounted therewithin andhaving a plurality of tubes for supporting said rockets, and means for rotating said magazine and for sequentially positioning each of said tubes having a rocket therein in longitudinal alignment with said container openings, and

means for firing each of said rockets when its supporting tube is disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings and said barrel and attenuator are disposed in said firing positions.

9. The launcher of claim 8 wherein said rotating and positioning means comprise stop means on the inner surface of said container, tab means movably mounted on each tube and being adapted to engage said container stop means to position said tube in longitudinal alignment with said container openings when a rocket is disposed in said tube, and spring means for rotating said magazine to advance each of said tubes to said position.

10. The launcher of claim 8 wherein said firing means comprises a trigger assembly mounted on said housing and having a manually operable trigger to initiate firing of each of said rockets when its supporting tube is disposed in longitudinal alignment with said container openings and said barrel and attenuator are disposed in said firing positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,443 1/l93l Sedgley. 2,101,148 12/1937 Manville 4259 X 2,966,827 1/1961 Harvey 89-1.8l6.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner. 

